16. The History Of The Shops

Chester Road East - Even Numbers

CHESTER CLOSE. Railway Terrace was built about 1900, for railway workers. The houses on the west side of the street were built in about 1928, those on the east were built about 10 years later.

18 (EMPTY) Until 1996 it was the surgery of Dr. D. N. McCandless (Who was struck-off). Dr. Gavin had his surgery here prior to this.

20 HOUSE

22 "The Anchorage" (EMPTY) most recently it was a cobblers known simply as Shoe Repairs. For a time in the 6O's it was a Potato supplies & farm produce shop. In the 1950s and 60’s it was Stokes’ Cut Rate Stores who sold sweets and confectionery. Before this it was a house, with the upstairs used for numerous purposes, including in the 60’s the surgery of H. G. Jones a chiropodist, after moving from number 15 Victoria Road in 1964. It was Mr. Feeman's dental surgery in the 50's and in the 1930's to 40's it was used as a Registry office and a rates office. In the 192O's it belonged to Mr. Peters, an undertaker who made coffins in a workshop at the rear of the house.

24 SHOTTON CYCLES Bicycle Shop. For a short time in the 1990’s it was Pauline and Margaret's Clothes shop. Between about 1935 - 70 it was Ken Hawker's Cobblers. Mr Latham had a Greengrocery here in the early 1930s. Before this, George Jones (of Bradbury and Jones) had a grocery shop here. The shop was first built in November 1926 by Mrs Gertie George (daughter of Mrs Vaughan - see no 26) who ran it as a sweet shop and general store.

26 BODY & MIND Beauty Salon opened here in 2003. Ange Li Upholstery opened in 2000 and closed early in 2003. It had been empty since the closure of Wendy & Co Children's Clothes in 1996, except for a brief period in 1999 when it became the temporary home of The Joke Shop. Anne Marie Famous Names Seconds occupied the shop from 1990 - 92. It was a double glazing showroom in the 80's. Various clothes businesses have occupied the shop since 1965. Between 1930 - 65 it was the X. L. Company Gents Outfitters. The shop was built in November 1926 by Mrs Vaughan who ran a Fish and Chip Shop from here.

28 DEESIDE FISHING TACKLE. From about 1950 to 1970 the Chester, Wrexham and North Wales Savings Bank occupied this building. In about 1970 it became the Trustee Savings Bank and remained as such for the next twenty years. In 1929 - 30 it was rented by the X. L. Company Gents Outfitters, who moved next door to No 26 in 1930. The shop was built in 1924 and opened as The Lingerie Shop until 1929.

30 HOUSE. Converted back to a house in 2002. It was empty for many years after THE WOOLPACK Wool Shop closed. From about 1968 to 1975 it was Domestic Services domestic electrical goods parts supplier. During the 60's it was The Palatine wine store, owned by Mr Patten, who took over the shop from Victoria Wines.

32 HOUSE. This building still has a shop front although it is currently used as a dwelling. Most recently it was Twice As Nice second hand stores, which was converted from a house in 1985.

34 HOUSE

36 (EMPTY - Wooden Building) Most recently occupied by W.E. EVANS & SONS Builders Merchants. In the 1980’s it was Hazel's Poodle Parlour. From about 1960 - 80 it was a Barber Shop. Roy Davies occupied it in the 1950’s and sold flowers. In the late 40’s it was a herbalist, in the mid 40’s it was the Handy Stores selling dusters, towels etc., and prior to that it was a Greengrocers. Another barber, a Mr. Ingman occupied it in about 1915.

38 HOUSE. The building has been substantially modernised, but is actually one of the oldest surviving buildings on the main road. In the 1880’s it was a coach-house. In the 1890’s St.... Ethelwold’s school used a room for Mother’s Union meetings and Confirmation classes, and it became known as the "Coffee House."

40 (EMPTY) Between 1997 - 1999 it was Contact Cars Private hire taxis. Briefly in 1997 it was A 'n' A Cars and prior to this it was Mike's Cars Taxi Hire. In the 1970’s it was G & G Minimarket.

40a (upstairs) is now MEN ONLY Barber’s Shop

The building was originally a stable, for the coach-house (No. 38) next door.

42 & 44 O.W. ELLIS Funeral Directors. It was converted from two houses into Lloyds Bank. In one of these houses in the early 1900’s, lived Mrs. Grace Thomas who was a dressmaker and who displayed her work in her front window.

44a (upstairs) is now LIFE PREGNANCY CARE SERVICE {WEBSITE} .

46 HOUSE

Chester Road East c. 1960

48 - 52 F.G. WALKER LTD Carpets. Number 48 was Balances Corn Merchants, number 50 was also Balances and housed their bakery. Number 52 was a small cycle shop which was taken over in about 1946 by F. G. Walker after he was demobbed at the end of the War. Mr. Walker eventually purchased the adjoining shops as a carpet warehouse.

54 E.A. HARRIS & Co Solicitors. It is still known as Transport House as it was previously owned by the Transport and General Workers Union (T.G.W.U.) from about 1930 - 1980. In the 1920’s it was the house and surgery of Dr. Walton.

WELLINGTON STREET

62 Converted to form part of LLYS TOMOS flats. It was MERLIN COMPUTERS. Before this it was a fishing tackle shop. In the mid -70’s it was Ivan Thomas Power Tool Hire. Earlier still Mr. Hughes, a butcher owned it, and there was an abattoir in the back with big gates in Wellington Street.

64 (EMPTY). Most recently BETTER BUY Children’s Clothes. In the 1970’s and 60’s it was Harrison Robe Wardrobes. In 1960 it was Margaret Freeman’s Haberdashery, and in the early 1900’s it was Mrs. Hughes’ Haberdashery.

66 HOUSE

66 RIVER QUEEN Take Away. This has always been a fish & chip shop. Mr. and Mrs. Pyke once ran it, and before then it belonged to Mr C. Hazeldine, and was a family business since the early 1900’s.

Chester Road East c. 1910

70 - 74 BEEHIVE BABYLAND Babies clothes and prams. Number 70 has recently been added to Babyland. Prior to this it was empty for a number of years since the former occupants, Supreme Tool Hire, closed. From about 1900 this was Shotton Laundry, and remained a launderette and dry cleaners until Supreme took over.

In 1914, number 74 was Holden's Grocers and Confectioners. At the same time, number 72 was Morris’ Grocery shop. When Mr. Morris died, Mrs. Holden bought this shop and extended her business.

76 - 96 HOUSES - "LEBU COTTAGES" Were built about 1901 and owned by the Lowry family of Eleanor Colliery note. They were named after the town of Lebu in Peru, where Mr. Lowry had worked for a number of years.

Chester Road East c. 1905

100 - 102 DEESPEED CAR ACCESSORIES since 1995. The shop was empty for a couple of years after John Hirst Repair Workshops closed. Hirst converted two shops into one and it had their main showroom until business was transferred to 23 - 25 Chester Road West . Number 102 had previously been a camera and photography shop, between about 1943 to 50. Before that, in about 1912 it was Marsland's who sold sweets, ice cream and home made bread. Number 100, next door, around the same time, was Almon's the Cobbler.

SHOTTON LANE. The ancient lane leading to the original hamlet.

Shotton Lane c. 1895

It is difficult to believe that the large house pictured above now forms the side of Deespeed Car Accessory shop, but close inspection of the building reveals the bricked-up ground floor windows.

The foundations of the large Semi-detached house, called "The Beeches," were laid in 1914 by Captain Vickers, but construction was halted by the war. It was completed in 1916 and a doctor occupied Number 3 whilst the R.A.F. owned Number 5.

A cottage in Shotton lane in 1950. The cottage was occupied by the Broster family and was demolished in 1961.

Shotton Lane Surgery was established in the 1950's

J. Williams Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaler had warehouses at the rear of Number 11. All these houses at the lower end of Shotton Lane have been demolished and a new housing estate, "Lavender Court," was built in 1996.

104 ST ETHELWOLD'S CHURCH

106 THE VICARAGE

108 P & J CAR SALES yard (formerly Flintshire Car Sales), THE SAW SHOP, PINE WORKSHOP, BENGAL DYNASTY Bangladeshi Restaurant {WEBSITE} , ESSO Service Station (formerly MOBIL, then BP), LEIGH CONCRETE and D.T.S. DIY occupy the site of offices, yard and showroom of George Henry Wright Building Material Merchants, later known as Sankey Wright. G.H. Wright was established in Shotton from 1940's to the late 1980's

Copyright © Keith Atkinson 1998 - 2006

You may print out the pages of this website for your own personal use. I do not sell this material in any printed format and therefore if you are offered this for sale, please contact me at shotton@postmaster.co.uk

Quick Navigation

Home 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22